A TEENAGER who headbutted a police officer as he was being arrested has been spared jail.

Eighteen-year-old Terrence Young, of St Steven's Close, Crook, appeared at Newton Aycliffe Magistrates Court yesterday, charged with assaulting a police constable, using threatening, abusive or insulting words or behaviour and resisting arrest.

The court heard how on January 4, two police officers in Hall Terrace, Willington, saw Young and a friend hanging out of a window. The pair were shouting racist insults at the two officers.

Rachel Masters, prosecuting, said the two officers were let into the building by the warden.

When they knocked on the door of the flat they were met with more abuse.

As the officers were downstairs speaking to the warden, Young appeared and began to swear once more at them.

As he was arrested he began to struggle.

Miss Master said: "He headbutted one of them to the face and pushed him away with an open hand.

"The struggle lasted approximately five minutes."

Bruce Cunningham, mitigating, said his client, who pleaded guilty to all the offences, suffered from serious mental health problems.

Mr Cunningham said on the night of the incident, Young had drunk a bottle of wine but it was his friend who had been shouting the abuse and hanging out of the window and he was trying to prevent him.

He said: "From his perception he had done nothing wrong.

"I hope you can take the view that on this occasion help rather than punishment can assist the situation."

The chairman of the bench, Pauline Parkins, said: "It's totally unacceptable to assault a police officer and custody needed to be thought about."

Young was sentenced to a community order with an 18-month supervision requirement and ordered to pay £50 compensation and £43 costs.